Playing for Pride (Sugar Ray Xulu PART II) September 4, 2009 Usuthu legend Sugar Ray Xulu talks about a time when ‘the name of the club’ was more important than earning vast sums of money… (click here to view his previous column)

“We played soccer when it was still for the passion not just as a way of earning a salary. I was one of the lucky ones because I could play and do a few jobs in between.

In those days we could play and work at the same time, I was that lucky. We could train three times a week and be able to go to work in the mornings.

My stay at AmaZulu was a very joyful one. We went through a lot as brothers with the likes of Richard Minga and Eric Ngidi. There were times when we did not get paid any money but we continued to play under such circumstances and worse ones.

For us it was the name of the club that drove us it was what was more important than our names. We did not drag our feet. We realized that to put the club first - knowing that the club’s history and the results of the club in the long run would not be judged by what little problems you had at the time.

It is sometimes the price you pay when you decide to rebel and not play because of demanding money. It was going to embarrass us in the end because in the 70s and it was about pride and glory. This is what has been happening with Benni McCarthy with Bafana Bafana.

The belief that players of our era had something special was also the reason that we enjoyed so much crowd backing. Our names stayed in the hearts of many football lovers of that time.

Some are much older than I am but they still recognize my face because we played our hearts out for them and ourselves. Being born and bred in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the whole province is home. Even people of other races know my name and people always remember one’s name when you have served them well and left them with fond memories.

Other clubs as well the country over have not forgotten who Sugar Ray Xulu is. I’m known more under Zulu Royals/AmaZulu territory than that of Avalon Athletic - ask my good friend Clive Barker.

Playing for so many ‘pick’ sides was one of the instances that proved to you as a player your value and all you had to do was show your appreciation on the field. The coaches’ roles were just to mould you in guidance by motivating you, as a player you knew your responsibility and duties.

When I look at today’s players I would say that currency (money) motivation has overtaken the love of football. Seeing so many teams crowd their squads with certain players that they know they don’t need but just for that little boost in their muscle power, they go out to get them, paying big money in the process. The business-like mentality has taken over to the extremes.

To improve as football nation we need to assess the number of foreign coaches we seem to believe are the answer bettering of the “local” game. They have their own philosophies which cause some of our players to feel restricted instead of playing their god given style of play.

A black player’s upbringing is different to another’s culture. There is a certain way that a player expresses himself in the pitch. You only have to perfect the skill and technique that is already there. I feel they should give players the freedom to show what they know, teach them how to harness their skill.

But Bafana Bafana are on the right track if the players put it into their minds that they want to play their normal style of football. AmaZulu will succeed if the players too put it in their minds that the whole team needs to work hard at each match situation. I don’t believe much in this thing that every game needs different planning when you’ve lost the previous match. Yes the season is short the matches are coming in a short space of time but in a match situation one needs to think using the coaches instructions as well.

Xulu was speaking to amazulufc.net journo Nhlanhla Brilliant Mkhathini